If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003.

GENERAL POLITICS

President Ronald Reagan said in his first inaugural address in 1981 that “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem,” and voters still agree.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 56% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with Reagan’s statement that government is the problem, while 30% disagree. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure. Reagan’s name was not mentioned in the question. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 10-11, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Several prominent Democrats trying to break out of the pack of potential 2020 presidential hopefuls are proposing new large-scale government spending programs. But voters aren’t big on these income transfer programs, and few think they will reduce the level of poverty.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 35% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with a proposal to have the federal government give low-income children up to $2,000 per year until they turn 18 to counter income inequality and give them a better economic start on life. Forty-eight percent (48%) disagree with the so-called “baby bonds” proposal by Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, while 18% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 10-11, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Most voters continue to believe the government has too much power over the individual citizen.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 58% of Likely U.S. Voters think there is too much government power and too little individual freedom today. This finding has tracked between 55% and 66% in surveys since 2012 when Rasmussen Reports first asked this question. Just 11% think there is too much individual freedom and too little government power in the country today. Twenty-four percent (24%) say the balance between the two is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 6 & 9, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, one of many Democrats with an eye on their party’s 2020 presidential nomination, tweeted last week that America’s future is female and “intersectional” (focused on overlapping areas of discrimination). But voters insist gender doesn’t drive how they vote.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 24% of Likely U.S. Voters consider a political candidate’s gender important in determining how they vote, with 12% who say it’s Very Important. For 76%, a candidate’s gender is not important to their vote, including 51% who say it’s Not At All Important. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 6 and 9, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The liberal media which excoriated George H.W. Bush when he was president now proclaims its love for him following his death last week. Even most Democrats, it seems, now look favorably on the 41st
president.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 77% of all Likely U.S. Voters share a favorable opinion of Bush, including 36% with a Very Favorable one. Just 17% have a somewhat or Very Unfavorable view of the Republican who served as president from 1989 to 1993. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 4-5, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Most voters think the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico will pass Congress, and they’re slightly more confident these days that it will be better for the United States than the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters say the new trade agreement will be better for the United States than NAFTA, while 22% think it will be worse. Twenty-six percent (26%) feel the economic impact will be about the same, and another 15% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 2-3, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Hope breeds eternal in the hearts of Democrats, but other voters see little chance of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation trapping President Trump.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 42% of all Likely U.S. Voters still believe that Mueller’s probe is likely to lead to criminal charges against the president, with 22% who say it’s Very Likely. But 50% consider charges against Trump to be unlikely, including 26% who say they are Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 2-3, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Some have estimated that up to 40 prominent Democrats will enter the race for their party’s 2020 presidential nomination. Even Democratic voters aren’t thrilled by that prospect.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 26% of all Likely U.S. Voters think that a presidential race that begins with that many potential nominees is good for the Democratic Party. Thirty-four percent (34%) predict that it will be bad for the party, while 26% say it will have no impact. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 28-29, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

As Republican control of the House comes to an end, even voters in their own party have little faith their congressional representatives will take advantage of these final weeks in the lame-duck session.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 25% of all likely U.S. voters think lame-duck sessions of Congress produce important legislation, while nearly half (47%) think these sessions are a waste of time. Another 28% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters nationwide was conducted on November 26-27, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

As the lame duck Congress wrestles with the level of federal spending, most voters agree a government shutdown is bad economic medicine, but they also don’t think higher spending is the answer. Very few say they’ve actually been hurt by shutdowns in the past.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 31% of Likely U.S. Voters would rather have Congress avoid a partial government shutdown by authorizing government spending at a higher level. Fifty-seven percent (57%) disagree and would prefer a shutdown until Democrats and Republicans can agree to either cut spending or keep it as its current level. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 26-27, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.